Babysitting Project
by MostlyxShortxStories
Summary: L is assigned the task of babysitting two year old Near for two weeks, and also a four year old Mello. Things can't be too bad, right? Wrong, especially when he learns that he'll be having the help of Beyond. DISCONTINUED.
1. I'll Be Doing What?

**BeforeNote: Yes, this is a new story that I've decided to write. Heh, it came to me while I was thinking of the times I used to babysit a baby cousin of mine a few years back. Awesome times, but he was so active! Anyways, enjoy :).**

**Warnings: Nothing, really :).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

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"I'll be doing what?" L asked Watari, pausing in his typing to stare at the aged man. They were in L's house, which, coincidentally, happened to be a few trees next to The Wammy's House.

"You'll be taking care of Near for two weeks while Roger and I go to Iraq to settle some disputes." Answered Watari, while sipping on his cup of Earl Grey. L was surprised, to say the least, and stared at his caretaker with his eyes wide and mouth gaping open. The old man chuckled softly, and said, "Don't worry, Beyond will assist you. Roger and I would have the teens in the senior wing take care of him, but you remember what happened last time when they watched over little Mello."

At the mention of that memory, L inwardly shuddered. The memory went like this: a few years ago, the teens in the senior wing were assigned to watch over a two year old Mello while Roger and Watari went into town for the day. After a few hours had gone by, it was time for Mello to take his bath. He was standing fully naked in front of the tub, ready to get in, when he peed on the tiled floor. The two teens assigned for bath time with him ran out of the bathroom, afraid of a little urine. Mello looked quizzically at them, and laughed happily when they decided to finally go back in put him in the tub. After the whole bathroom episode, Mello was changed into a fresh diaper, and wore the same one for the rest of the day. Needless to say, the poor toddler had developed quite a rash, and was screaming and whining when Roger and Watari returned home that day. His rash lasted the next couple of days, and turned out to be very painful.

Now, it was L's turn to take care of a two year old Near, and in his own home. But, who was to say that the twenty-five year old man would not encounter the same problem?

"L, don't fret. I'm sure the same thing will not happen to you. You and Beyond are far more mature." said Watari, as if reading L's mind, since L's face was certainly unreadable, and seemed to stay in the same, boring expression. Perhaps it was all the sugar that made him that way.

"Alright then," L replied, sighing. "When do we start? And will Near be the only child we will take care of? And who will watch over the other Wammy children?"

Watari chuckled at his young charge's questions. "Tomorrow, Beyond will show up to get himself situated in your home. And yes, you will also be taking care of four year old Mello. As for the others, I've contacted an old friend of mine. She too runs an orphanage, and the caretakers and teachers will assist her."

L thought for a moment, then said, "Wait. If you have her and everyone else, then why can't she watch Mello and Near?"

"Because they are your successors, and I would rather have you, their mentor, watching them. It will be a chance for you to get to know them better and vice versa. Oh, and we will bring them over the day after Beyond's arrival."

"Fine. How bad could it be?"

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**AfterNote: It's a bit short, but I like it so far, and I've already got the second and third chapters written, which should be up some time this week :).**


	2. Beyond's Arrival

**BEforeNote: The awaited second chapter is here! I split this into two parts. The second part will still take place during the same day, but at the orphanage with the children. That should be added tomorrow. Hopefully. Hehe. Enjoy!**

**Oh! Before I forget! Thank you CrazyMuggleborn44 and joy2theworlddannyphantom for your reviews :).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, or strawberry-flavored cupcakes.**

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Things were going to be very bad. Bad things with the children? Hopefully not. But bad things with Beyond?

Oh yes, definitely, and not in the bad way that you think, perverts.

Bad, as in, as soon as Beyond made his way into L's house the next day, the first few sentences to pop out of his mouth were, "This place needs to be cleaned up. The candy wrappers, and Kami knows what else, don't go on the floor. And you're going to need some healthy food in your house. One more thing: your detective work will have to wait until Watari and Roger get back. For Kami's sake, L! We'll be having two children here, and you'll have to do your part as well!"

"Actually", said Watari, interrupting Beyond's scolding and holding back a fury-seething L. "You'll be taking care of three. This morning, we got a new arrival. His name is Mail Jeevas, and he's three years old. But please, refer to him as Matt. I would have the fill-in head mistress watch over him, but we tested him as soon as he arrived. Apparently, he's the third smartest, which means he is third in line to be your successor, L. Like I said before with the other two children, now three, they are your successors, and it would be better for them to be with you."

L and Beyond stared at the old man.

"Well that should be fun, having three kids around." Beyond said while nudging L.

L, however, was once again running scenarios through his head. Three kids; Near, age two, Matt, age three, and Mello, age four. What if all three were still in diapers? Well, that just wouldn't work. And Mello; L had heard that he was a little hellion, a little troublemaker; a demon in the form of soft blond hair, ocean colored eyes, and chubby, rosy cheeks.

Sensing his young ward's inner turmoil at the thought of three child geniuses, Watari spoke up. "L, it's ok. Only Near is in diapers. The other two are potty trained."

At this good news, L sighed in relief. One in a diaper, two with potty knowledge-

Good God! Now things were just going to get _worse_.

The potty-trained boys, Matt and Mello, could have an accident at any time, and either L or Beyond, most likely L, would have to bathe and change them. If it happened at the house, then maybe it wouldn't be so much of a challenge. But if the accidents occurred in public?

L gulped. At least if Near had an accident, it would happen in a white, stretchy material, most likely covered in Barney characters. L nearly fainted, but kept his composure. He was about to ask Watari about what to do if that particular situation occurred with the older two, but decided against it. Instead, he opted for, "Are they the screaming kind of children? The ones who run rampant and make a mess out of everything?"

Watari chuckled. "Mello, maybe. He likes to pick on Near, but he know his limits, since Near is still two years younger than he. Mello is very...adventurous and active. However, he will calm down if you give him a chocolate bar. I allow him three a day, one with each meal. He's also very talkative, the exact opposite of Near."

Watari paused for a moment to let the information sink into L's genius mind, then he continued. "Near is very quiet, and will often sit in the corner and either play with his blocks, or read a book. It is very rare when he interacts with Mello, and when he does, he just sits and stares at the younger boy, and twirls his hair around his finger. Some say that his behavior is not normal for a boy his age, or a boy like him. But he's a genius, and all geniuses have their quirks. You should know, judging by how you seem to "chew" your thumb, and the amount of sweets you consume in an hour.

L pouted with his thumb in his mouth.

"Oh, that reminds me." Beyond spoke up from his crouched position on the floor, while sneakily observing L's sugar-stained carpet. "This place still needs to be cleaned up. It needs to look presentable for three toddlers."

Watari nodded his head in agreement, and L was just becoming annoyed.

"Tomorrow, Roger and I will drop the children off, and then we will be taking our leave." said Watari. "As for now, I'm going back to the orphanage to make sure Matt has been introduced to Mello and Near. You two please try and get along. And L, Beyond is right; your house needs to be cleaned. Also, please make sure the boy's rooms are prepared." With that, Watari left the house.

As soon as the door closed, L turned to Beyond and glared at him. This turned out to be a fail, since L's glare-stare needed a little work, and he had a smudge of chocolate on his left cheek.

Beyond noticed L's desperate attempt at a glare and the chocolate smudge, and chuckled. "L, that look just doesn't work for you." Beyond said with a smirk in his tone, while picking up the candy wrappers and the Kami-knows-what-else. "Oh, and you've got a bit of chocolate on your cheek," he said, while indicating to which one with a pale, bony finger.

L huffed, wiped off the chcolate, and seated himself in his red velvet armchair.

Red velet?

Yes, red velvet, just like his favorite cake. He watched with large eyes as Beyond threw the wrappers away.

"Would you mind helping me out a bit, _Princess_? After all, this is _your _house." stated Beyond as he placed the final pillow on the matching red velvet sofa.

L got out of his chair and walked to the kitchen, where he then proceeded to cram a strawberry-flavored cupcake into his mouth. "I guess I'll go prepare the rooms then, _mother_", L retorted after licking his fingers clean.

"Well, at least you'll be doing _something _other than stuffing your pie-hole with pie."

"It was a strawberry-flavored cupcake."

"Either way, it was still a sugary sweet." Beyond turned his back and marched out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

L huffed and made his way up the stairs, to the floor where the children's rooms were.

Kami please help him.

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**AfterNote: Heh, how was it? My apologies for the wait! It's been a super busy week for me. Third chapter will be up shortly!**


	3. Meanwhile, at Wammy's

**BeforeNote: I'm back! Did you all miss me? Bet not, huh. Jk jk. Anyways, I had some more reviews, favorites, and alerts, so thank you mucho! Here's the promised third chapter. And don't worry, kuz I have the fourth one written out and a bunch of ideas for the next three. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Pac Man.**

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"Hyah! Near!" shouted a hyper, four year old Mello as he ran into the playroom. Near was seated on the floor by the window, stacking legos. He didn't look up when the older boy ran in, and still didn't look up when he said his hello.

"Hello, Mello." Near said quietly.

"So, I just found something out today. You'll _never_ guess what. Oh, and _I_ was the first to know." Mello was skipping in a circle around Near while he spoke, and in a teasing way, asked, "do you want me to tell you?"

"Sure," said Near, still not looking up from his lego stacking. "What did Mello find out?"

Stopping his dancing to sit down in front of the tiny child, Mello told Near that the both of them would be spending two weeks with L, while, 'Mishter Wammy and the other old coot', were away on a business trip. Mello was ecstatic, and was bouncing up and down the whole time.

"Well, that's nice." That was Near's only response, and Mello took it as an offense.

"That's _nice_? Is that all you really have to say? Well it's more than nice! It's freakin' awesome!"

"Mello". A stern voice called out from the doorway of the playroom, and Mello turned around to stare at Roger. "And Near; I would like you two to meet our new arrival, Matt. Matt, the blond is Mello, and the white is Near."

The little boy Matt glanced at Mello and Near, and quickly hid behind Roger's legs. Near turned back to his toys, but Mello stood up to walk over to the old man and timid boy. Seeing that Mello was coming closer and closer, Matt clutched Roger's pant legs tightly.

"Now now, Matt. There is no need to be scared. Mello won't do anything." Roger told him assuredly, but Matt wasn't convinced, because Mello had a growing smirk on his face and a vicious look in his eyes. Roger noticed the look on the blond's face. "Mello, stop giving Matt that look. You look like you want to cook him for dinner. Just become acquainted with him. He will also be going with you and Near to L's. Now, I'm going to go finish packing your things." With that said. Roger left to do exactly as he said.

"So, how old are you?" Mello asked a still very timid Matt, while taking his arm and leading him to the table in the corner. Matt didn't resist, for fear of being swallowed whole by the intimidating blond child.

"I-I'm three." Matt answered, while holding up three little fingers in the process.

Once they were seated at the small table, Mello looked Matt up and down, and took in his appearance; red hair, blue denim shorts, a white shirt with the Pac Man characters, toddler-sized converse, and orange goggles that were too big and hung around his neck. "You're kinda dorky for a three year old."

"Am not!" said Matt, defending himself, although he knew it was true.

"Are too. And who gave you those dumb glasses, anyways?"

"They're not dumb! And they're goggles!"

"Fine. Who gave you those _stupid _goggles?"

Matt looked shocked and hurt, and in a quiet voice, said, "my mommy." Tears were forming in his green eyes, but he put his head down, lest the evil blond child see and taunt him some more. Mello was about to comment some more on Matt's choice of accessories, when suddenly, a stern voice rang more through the playroom. It was Roger, coming to retrieve the boys for some afternoon lunch.

"Mello, come here," Roger called to Mello.

Mello gulped and hesitated.

"_Now, _mister."

Shuffling his feet to where Roger stood, Mello held his head up high and put on his best 'innocent' face.

"Listen to me, young man. I, as well as Mr. Wammy, expect you to be on your best behavior while at L's house. That means no teasing Matt or Near, no running rampant throughout the house; _no nonsense whatsoever. _Understood? And apologize to Matt now."

"Yes sir," said Mello defeatedly. He walked back to Matt, who had a let a few tears escape his eyes, and in a barely audible voice, apologized. "Sorry, Matt, for making fun of you."

"That's ok Mello!" Matt said, suddenly rather excited.

Roger looked very pleased at the scene before him as he also took notice of the time. "Aright now. You boys come down and have some lunch. After lunch, go to your rooms to make sure that I have packed everything you need and want to take to L's. Tomorrow, we will drop you off."

The three children nodded their heads, and Roger walked out. Mello scowled at Matt. "You know, if you weren't such a baby, you and me could be best friends."

Matt kept quiet and shrugged his shoulders, and followed after Roger. Mello was left alone in the room with Near, who also walked out after Mello gave him a nasty look. Following Near out into the hallway, Mello felt rather pleased with himself.

_Intimidate the new kid? Check._

_Stalk after Near? Check._

_Tease Near some more? _Now _there _was an idea.

"Hey, cotton ball!" Mello shouted, not realizing that Roger, who was a few feet ahead of them with Matt, could hear. Roger just sighed and decided not to comment on it.

It was going to be a long two weeks for L and Beyond.

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**AfterNote: And it's finished! Well, this chapter at least. I've got a few teasers for the next chapter, which is supposed to be the day that the kiddies finally arrive, so here they are ;D.**

_He shoved his doppelganger off from his comfortable place, which happened to be his lap._

"_Well good morning to you too, Princess."_

_He harbored a secret love for his Lawliet._

"_I find myself quite prepared, actually."_

_He knew it was a damn lie from the pit of hell._

"_Little Lawli, maybe you should just take a break. Tonight, my darling, you're going to need all your energy," Beyond whispered with a malicious smirk on his face._


	4. Chapter Four: Part One

**BeforeNote: So, yeah, you all got my apology chapter, and someone named Mads sent in a review saying that I have til Friday to post this chapter, or else they're deleting my story. Eh, oh well. Anyways, an hour after that review I found out that one of my uncles passed away. I must be cursed. Anyways, enjoy.**

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The first thing that L did when he woke up was scream. Why? Because right after he opened his huge black panda eyes, huge blood red eyes were staring back at him, and jam-stained lips were hovering scarily close to his. L stopped his high-pitched screaming once he realized that it was only Beyond, and when he remembered that Beyond would be helping him for two weeks, he shoved his doppelganger off from his comfortable place, which happened to be L's lap.

Beyond fell to the floor face first. "Well good morning to you too, princess."

Huffing, L got out of bed and walked towards his bathroom to get ready for his day.

He was going to shower.

Come on, what did you think he was gonna do? Put make-up on his face so he could secretly and discreetly try t get Beyond to notice him? Nope, that was Beyond's job, because he harbored a secret love for his Lawliet-oops, you weren't supposed to find that out. Heh.

Anyways, back to L stalking off to take a shower and Beyond staring longingly at his curvaceous ass and-

Dammit!

"Today is the day that the little ones come, and the old men leave. Are you ready, Princess?" Beyond asked, batting his eyelashes behind L's back, as he remained in his position on the bedroom floor.

"Yes, I find myself quite prepared, actually," answered L before slamming his bathroom door closed. Who was he kidding? He knew it was a damn lie from the pit of Hell, and he was nervous as fuck. Despite Watari's every assurance that the toddlers would not cause any trouble, the tall, panda-like man still found himself shuddering in fear. To top it all off, Beyond was here, and was remaining calm.

While L was in the shower, Beyond went downstairs to double-check everything and to make sure that the house was still clean. L had had another sugar craving in the middle of the night-who'd have thunk?-and had most likely left a mess in the kitchen. However, to Beyond's surprise, the kitchen was spotless.

"Yes, the cooking station is still clean. I know better." L said from the entrance of the kitchen, almost startling Beyond.

"No, you don't. I had to practically _force _you to clean your own damn house," Beyond retorted.

"No one said you had to."

"_Somebody _had to."

"It didn't have to be you in particular."

"Well, it _was_ me, and now it's clean. Now-" Beyond was interrupted by a knocking on the door, and the sound of three children outside. Gulping, L walked stiffly to the door, while Beyond grinned widely.

"Roger, Watari, and children; please come in." L invited as he stood inside to let the old men and kids inside. Before either old man could their way in, however, Mello ran past them and immediately clamped onto L's left leg.

"Mishter L!" exclaimed Mello. "I'm Mello, and I'm second in line for successor! Can you believe that _Near _is before me? He's only two, but I'm gonna beat his sheepy butt some day! Just you wait!"

"Watari, please remove this child from my leg." Said a mortified L, while shaking his leg in a desperate attempt to remove the clingy blond child. Chuckling, Watari handed Near to Roger, whose own leg was gripped tightly by Matt. Beyond stood in the background grinning even wider, and L glared at him.

Again, another epic fail of L's glare-stare.

"Come, Mello. I want you to meet Beyond now." Watari told him gently.

As Watari took Mello to Beyond, Roger spoke to L. "L, this is Near, and the child on _my _leg is Matt." L only stared at the small albino child, who waved at him, and L then directed his gaze to Matt, who had released Roger's leg.

"It's nice to meet you, Near, and Matt. I hope you aren't as rambunctious as Mello over there." At that moment, Mello had gotten Beyond to pick him up, and Beyond was holding him under the armpits and at arm's length. Mello didn't seem to mind though, since he was asking Beyond ten questions a minute, and commenting on his, "kick-ass, awesome red eyes." L snickered at the sight before him, and Beyond winced.

Near had turned to look at the scene as well, and after turning away while shaking his head, he held out his arms to L, who stared blankly at him. Reluctantly, L took the child into his arms. As soon as Near was transferred, he yawned and put his head on L's shoulder. Watari and Roger chuckled, L smiled softly, and Beyond just laughed.

"I think he's sleepy. He hasn't had a nap all day, and neither have I," came Matt's soft voice from where he stood, which was now by Roger's side.

"Yes," answered Watari. "Roger and I will bring in their suitcases, and then we will take our leave."

Five minutes later, six suitcases were brought in, and Beyond, L, and the kids said their goodbyes to Roger and Watari.

"Alright, children," said Beyond as he closed the door and set Mello down. "I am Beyond. The child in L's arms is Near, yes? You are Matt," he said while pointing to the goggled three year old. "And you, the little devil, are Mello." Mello just nodded enthusiastically.

"Well then," started L, as he picked up Near's suitcase. "We'll show you to your rooms, and you can all take a nap. Near has already fallen asleep, so I assume that you two are tired as well. When you wake, dinner will be ready."

"Okay!" said Mello, and he ran up the stairs, trailing after L. Beyond was starting to follow after him, when he noticed that Matt still stood in his place.

"Matt, what's wrong? Beyond questioned him.

"Will I be sharing a room with Mello?" Matt timidly asked.

"No, you will all get your own rooms. But what's wrong? You look frightened."

"Well, Mello is a big meanie. He made fun of my goggles, and called me a baby." Matt looked down at his feet, and nearly yelped in surprise when Beyond picked him up and headed up the stairs.

"Don't worry, Matt. We'll make sure that the three of you get along during these two weeks. Alright, this is your room." They stopped in front of a white door, and Beyond opened it and laid Matt down on the king-sized bed. As he was about to turn to walk out to retrieve his suitcases, he felt a small tug on his sleeve. He turned to look at the child that was already curled under the blankets.

"Yes, Matt?"

"Umm…never mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhmm."

"Alright then. See you in a bit." As Beyond walked out of the room and shut the door, he bumped into L.

"Well, Near was fine, but Mello…" L trailed off, while shaking his head, and beyond snickered. "I don't think I'll be able to keep up with him at dinner time."

While L had been talking, Beyond had snuck up to his side. "Little Lawli, maybe you should just take a break. Tonight, my darling, you're going to need all your energy," he whispered into L's ear with a malicious smirk on his face.

L visibly gulped, and Beyond went downstairs to prepare dinner.

What in the Hell was Beyond planning?


	5. Chapter Four: Part Two

**BeforeNote: Ok, this is part two. Now, I'm giving you a heads-up; I will be on another week hiatus, since I will be working on Friday and the rest of the weekend, and on Tuesday, I will be at my dear uncle's funeral. So the fifth chapter should be up by Thursday, which will be the twenty-seventh of January, unless I am somehow able to update the twenty-sixth, which I highly doubt. Anyways, in this chapter, L gets a friendly visit from the voice inside his head. Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Disney.**

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It turns out that what Beyond was planning was to make some spaghetti for dinner, and L would have to clean up afterwards.

You freakin' pervs.

But, Beyond also made L help out with the cooking. The panda man filled up a pan with water, set it on the stove, and turned on the big metal device. Beyond was next to him, breaking the noodles into halves. Once that task was complete, he turned to L, and asked, "L, do you have sauce already prepared? If not, we can make it ourselves."

L thought for a moments, then replied, "We will have to make it ourselves, I'm afraid. I do have the necessary ingredients, and you can sit down to chop. I will sit down as well."

"Let me guess; you'll be using your deduction talents while you chop, am I right?"

"Yes, possibly. Now, let me get out the ingredients, and we'll continue."

Beyond and L chopped away for fifteen minutes, then put the sauce in a sauce pan, and the other saucey ingredients. This took another fifteen minutes, since L had to physcially restrain Beyond from eating the sauce, since the red-eyed man claimed that it reminded him of his dearly beloved jam. When that escapade had ended, L had to hold Beyond back once again, because this time, he had scrambled to the fridge to bring out the real strawberry jam.

"Beyond," L said firmly. "If I have to give up sweets for two weeks, then you have to give up your jam."

"I never said you had to give them up; just keep your messes clean." Beyond shot back with a scowl on his face.

"Well _I'm _saying I have to, and that means that _you _have to give up your jam."

"Fine," Beyond complied, and slumped in L's arms.

"Good. Now, I'm going to put the noodles to boil. Will you please check on the children?"

Smirking, Beyond noticed that L had done most of the cooking work, and all he had to do was chop and check on the toddlers. He happily nodded, stood up, and went upstairs.

'My my,' L thought to himself. 'How will I survive with the children _and_ Beyond? Well, Near and Matt aren't so bad, but Mello? He's...kind of wild. And then there's Beyond with his jam obsession.'

_You're one to talk, _said a little voice inside of L's head. _Look at you with your sweets obsession; can't go a minute without happily stuffing your face. You're going to die sooner rather than later, you know. Your precious sweets will betray with you a heart attack. Now, isn't that something, hmm?_

L ignored the voice and stirred the noodles. The voice was right, though, and he knew it.

Meanwhile, Beyond was on the second floor of the house, opening the doors of the children's rooms and peeking inside. The first door was Matt's, and he saw the little boy sprawled out over the bed on his back, with half of the blankets falling off, and a few pillows on the floor. 'What a wild sleeper,' Beyond thought, as he slipped in to put the covers compeltely on the boy. He then walked out to check up on Mello who had his blankets bunched up around him. Last was Near's room. As he opened the door, the small child immediately sat up, almost startling Beyond.

"Well hello there," Beyond greeted. Near smiled, said hello, and held out his arms.

Chuckling, Beyond walked over to the bed and picked him up. "Are you hungry?" he asked, and Near nodded 'yes'.

"What are we eating?" he asked quietly.

"Spaghetti and come cranberry juice and water for drinking. How does that sound?"

"That sounds yummy." Just then, Mello opened his bedroom door, and came out into the hallway, hair sticking up in different directions. He yawned and scratched his belly, then looked towards Beyond and Near.

"Heya sheep, Mishter Beyond," Mello said while trying to peek through Matt's door. "Hey, I think the new guy is awake. Can we eat dinner now?" Before he could let Beyond answer, Mello walked straight into Matt's room, wher the three year old was trying to climb out of his bed. "Matt, dinner is ready, so hurry up!"

"Ok," Matt said groggily, not even caring that Mello had practically yelled at him while he struggled to get off the oversized mattress. When he was on the floor, he preceeded out into the hallway with Mello, where Beyond and Near still stood.

"Everybody ready?" asked Beyond, already heading down the stairs. There was a unison of 'yes' as Matt and Mello followed

As soon as the four of them came into the kitchen, they were greeted with the delicious smell of dinner.

"Oh yum!" shouted Mello, while running up to L's side to get a look at the noodles, which were now covered in sauce.

"Wash your hands first, please." L said while shooing away the child. "Beyond, please assist them."

"Yes, sir." answered Beyond in a soldier like way, and L just rolled his eyes.

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Needless to say, dinner went well that night, excluding the attempted food fight, and the "accidental" spilling of Mello's cranberry juice on Near's white pajamas. Seriously, the two-year-old was in his high chair, a very _high, _high chair, and Mello wouldn't have been able to reach.

But, it's Mello we're talking about, and he found a way to "spill" his juice on the right leg of Near's pajamas.

Mello was denied his chocolate bar for desert, and, surprsingly enough, he took it fairly well.

Soon, the three children were in the living room, watching a Disney movie, and L and Beyond were cleaning up the kitchen. L, in the middle of dinner, realized that Beyond had gotten him to all the cooking, so he was going to make sure that Beyond would help him with the clean-up more than the red-eyed manipulator had intended.

"Honto ni, L-chan, I don't know what you're talking about." Beyond stated innocently after the dishes had been put away. "You asked me to check on the children, and I did. Meanwhile, you watched over the rest of the food. Had you checked on the children yourself, _I _would have been the one to finish the cooking."

Sighing, L decided to just let the matter god. "Ok, Beyond. Never mind. The kitchen is clean and that's all that matters. Now, you can give the children a bath, make sure they brush their teeth, and put them to bed. Tomorrow night, I will be the one to take care of that task."

Beyond grinned childishly, and went to do as told.

_He's such a good person, that Beyond guy. _The voice was back, and L attempted to ignore it, but it was here full-force. _He could make a great parent someday. But you, you're more irritated with children than I thought._

'You and I think the same things. You are my mind, after all.' L thought to himself. If his mind wanted to have a mental verbal fight with him inside of his own head, then he was more than happy to accept that challenge. 'Is there anything else that you would like to say before I drown you out with strawberry shortcake?'

_Hmm, so we're back to the sweets again. I believe it will be the strawberry shortcake that kills you._

'Us, you mean, since we are one.'

_Oh, so now you want to accept me? I feel so very special now, Lawliet._

'You sound like Beyond. Please, stop.'

_Am I frightening you?_

'No, more like weirding me out. You're like a full-fledged stalker, like...'

_Like Beyond?_

'Yes, now shut up so I can enjoy this cake in peace.' And with that, the voice promptly shut up.

"The children are asleep now. I'm going to shower then go to bed," Beyond said while going into the downstairs bathroom. He shut the door, not giving L a chance to reply; not that he was going to, anyway.

L soon went upstairs to his own room, with his cake in hand. 'This first day wasn't been so bad after all. Maybe the next two weeks wouldn't be so bad either.' he thought while sitting down on his big, vanilla bed.

The voice inside L's head, however, disagreed, and chuckled darkly.

* * *

**AfterNote: I have to say that I don't really like this chapter as much. I made revisions over and over again, but with the recent events going on in my family, I haven't been thinking quite clearly all that much. But I hope you enjoyed it.**


	6. Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Bathtubs

**BeforeNote: Updates will officially be once a week, and same goes for my other story, 'Only Six Years Old.' I only have two chapters up for that one, but, things are coming along fine. Oh, I'm putting the AfterNote right here as well, since this thing is being dumb and won't let me put the stupid line on the bottom. I'm telling you now, this chapter is a cliffhanger. Yes, I'm that evil. :D. But never fear, because the second part will be here in a few days, instead of one week!**

**Disclaimer: I don't Death Note, or American Idol, which seems to be funnier this year. And I also don't own Steven Tyler, who is a judge this year! I don't own Aerosmith as well.**

**Suggested Listening: Dream On by Areosmith. :D.**

* * *

L woke up the next morning, feeling a little...disheveled. He had had too much strawberry shortcake the night before, and was now suffering from a sugar hangover, if that was even possible for him. Either way, he didn't feel quite right. Maybe it had to do with the face that Beyond and three toddlers were at his house.

Oh, that reminded him.

He needed to check if they were all awake by now. He glanced at his clock to see that it was only six-fifteen, but he got up anyways. Yawning and stretching at the same time, L threw the covers off of himself and lazily got out of bed. He not-so-elegantly strode across the room to his door, opened it, and poked his head out of it. Once, he deemed he hallways safe enough, he went out the door and down the stairs to the kitchen to find...Beyond? And the children? Gaping, L stood by the entrance of the kitchen.

"Oh, good morning, L-kun." Beyond greeted, then turned back to his...pancake making. That's right; the red-eyed man was making pancakes-chocolate chip, to be exact-and was wearing some frilly white apron. Near was in his high chair, playing with the chocolate chips that Mello was giving him. It seemed everyone was there, except-

"Where's Matt?" L asked, looking around.

As if on cue, Matt emerged from the downstaris bathroom. "I am right here," he said quietly, while climbing onto one of the stools in front of the counter. Seeing his struggling, L helped him up by gently placing his hands on the boy's bottom, and pushing him up. Matt let out a quiet "thank you," and L went to stand beside Beyond.

"L-kun," Beyond started, while flipping the last of the pancakes onto the other side. "I will clean up afer breakfast, you can take care of lunch, and we'll both do dinner. Sound good?" The pancakes were finished, and L nodded while licking his lips at the delicious sight before him. Before he could start drooling over the food, Beyond politely asked him to get some plates, forks, cups, and other breakfast necessities out from the cupboards. L willingly obliged, wanting to hurry up and eat, since Beyond had brought out some fresh strawberries.

The table was set, and Beyond filled everyone's plates with three pancakes each, and left the rest by the stove. "Mello, it's time to eat now," he said, while picking up the blond child and placing him on the seat next to Matt's. He then dragged Near's high chair over to where he and L sat, but Near asked to sit with the others instead. Mello patted his Near's head, as the two year old was placed to the right of him, and cut up his pancakes for him. Matt stared at the scene, and tried cutting his own.

"Need some help there, kiddo?" Mello asked with a small smile on his face.

"Y-you're a kiddo to, ya know." Matt said quietly, not looking Mello in the eyes.

"Yeah, but I'm older than you."

"Only by a year."

"It's still older though. Now, do you want me to cut 'em for you or not?"

"Ok, I guess. Thanks."

Mello began cutting Matt's pancakes, and when he was finished, he innocently asked L and Beyond if there was any chocolate syrup.

"If you have chocolate syrup with your pancakes," L said, while placing the brown bottle in front of Mello, "then you can't eat your chocolate bar after breakfast."

"That's ok!" Mello replied cheerily, while drenching his pancakes in the chocolate goo. Sighing, L poured them all some orange juice, and also gave Mello a glass of water. He needed something to wash out the sugar, anyways. After all, he couldn't have any child passing out on him from too much sugar.

Breakfast came and went, and it was seven o' clock by the time they finished. Beyond began the kitchen clean-up, and L took the children into the bathroom to prepare for a bath. The tub was big enough so the three toddlers could fit. It was less time consuming as well, if the three bathed together.

"Are you gonna put some bubbles in the water?" asked Mello, while remmoving his clothes and helping Near's with his as well.

"Yes." L said, and plugged the tub up so it would fill. He sat on the toilet, waiting for the water, and Matt sat at the edge of the tub, already naked. Testing the water with his fingers, Matt slid in, and sat down.

"What scent will you put in?" the redhead asked. He began to wet his hair, and L told him that the scent would be cherry. "That sounds good." Matt replied, reaching for the shampoo to begin washing his hair.

L put in the bubbles, turned off the water, and put Mello and Near in with Matt. "I'll be right back. I forgot towels," and L quickly left to retrieve said items.

While he was gone, Near stood up in the tub, and waddled over to Matt to get the shampoo from him. Matt handed him the bottle, and Near pured some in his hand and began to scrub the top of his head, working the substance all around. Mello had dunked himself under water so he could begin his hair cleaning, and when he came back up, Near was standing next to him with the bottle in his hand.

"Thanks." Mello said, and proceeded to clean his hair. It wasn't until after he had rinsed his hair out, that Near had fallen in the tub, and was currently under the water, unable to free himself. Matt and Mello stared at him, all capability to move gone. Finally, Mello cried out for L, stood up, and tried to pull Near out of the water. Beyond and L both came rushing in, and Near was already out of the water, coughing madly and spluttering out water.

"Near, are you alright?" Beyond asked, taking him out of the water and wrapping a towel around him. Near simply nodded, and went unconscious.


	7. Drs, Throttling, & More Chocolate Chips

**BeforeNote: Yeah, I said it would be a couple of days for the next part of the last chapter to show up, but eh, I just started writing and this came out. Heh. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Nestle TollHouse.**

* * *

"He is going to be ok." The doctor said, while packing away his supplies and preparing to leave. "There doesn't seem to be any water in his lungs, but he will need to rest for today."

Near was asleep in his bed, pajamas on his body and blankets wrapped snugly around him. He was clutching a blue bear to his tiny chest, and his breaths were even. Matt and Mello, on the other hand, were in Mello's room, listening to everything the doctor had been telling the two look-alike men.

"Thank you, doctor. We'll keep him in bed and make sure he is well rested." And with that, Beyond and L led the doctor downstairs, saw the man out the door. Once the doctor had disappeared around the corner from their street in his car, Beyond immediately turned to L, red eyes sparking with fury.

"What the Hell, L! You were supposed to be watching them!" Beyond screamed, and L flinched back just a little.

"Well, I had forgotten their towels. I figured they would be alright." L responded, seeming a bit calmer after his little flinch.

"Obviously, they weren't. Near could have died. Matt and Mello were so frightened! You need to be with them every second that they take their baths." Beyond was now seething with pure anger, his fists clenching and unclenching by his sides.

L hung his head, and quietly apologized.

"What was that, L?" Beyond asked, smirking. He had heard L, but wanted him to say it louder. L wasn't known for apologies, after all.

"I said I'm sorry." L repeated, voice a little louder and his head still hanging. "You're right, I should have been more careful. I'll be more alert, next time."

Surprising L greatly, Beyond pulled him into a firm embrace. L was shocked for a moment, and then awkwardly returned the sentiment. He didn't notice he was shaking, nor that his shoulders were tense, until Beyond gently rubbed his hands up and down L's back, and L began to relax.

"It's ok, L-chan. Everyone is fine now. Come on; we'll go cut you some strawberry shortcake."

At the mention of his favorite food, L perked up, and followed Beyond into the kitchen, their hands loosely linked together.

At this point in time, neither man noticed that Matt and Mello had poked their heads out of the room they were occupying, watching the two men make their way into the kitchen.

"Eww. You better not _ever _try that with me, Matt." Mello said to the boy next to him.

"As if. You look too much like a girl, anyways." Matt responded with sly smile on his face.

"What did you say, runt?"

"Ahhh!" Screams were heard as Mello chased Matt down the stairs and into the living room. Sighing, L reluctantly put down his cake, and he and Beyond went into the living room to stop the little commotion, before it got too out of hand.

At least Near was fast asleep, and wouldn't have any part in this.

Or so they thought.

Snickering at the scene below him, which now consisted of Beyond chasing L to try to stop him from throttling Mello, who was still chasing after Matt, Near padded quietly down the stairs, into the kitchen, and dragged a chair to the counter where Beyond had left out the bag of chocolate chips. Near climbed on top of the chair, grabbed the bag, and hopped off the chair, making his way into the living room which was now littered with red velvet couch cushions.

Still unnoticed, Near plopped himself down into the corner of the room that was untouched, and began eating the chocolate chips straight from the bag. The commotion in front of him still wore on, and Near decided to make things a bit more interesting; he was going to throw the chocolate pieces at the four of them, who all had their mouths open because of the screaming and yelling, and was going to try to succeed in getting the chocolate into their mouths. He threw one at Beyond, and missed. The next at L and Matt, and missed again. The last one finally a success, and landed in Mello's mouth.

Surprised, Mello stopped, and began chocking, but thankfully, he swallowed the chip just in time. L, Beyond, and Matt stared at him, wondering why he suddenly had a coughing fit and then a change of pure terror on his face, to pure joy.

A flash of white went by the corner of their eyes, and little footsteps on the stairs met their ears.

"Well then, I guess Near's all better." said Beyond, and the four dispersed and went about the house.

Near, after his fun, sat on his bed, eating the rest of the chocolate chips, the sugar flowing through his system and putting him on high alert. He finished the chocolate and crept downstairs once again, this time, to try to throw strawberries into L's awaiting mouth.

Oh yes, Near was _definitely _feeling better.

* * *

**AfterNote: I guess most of it was like a filler chapter. Well, in the next chapter, there's a two day timeskip, and then they go to the laundromat, since Mello nearly ruins everyone's clothes with his chocolate. What awaits them at the public laundromat? Will there be more trouble out there than in the house? Why the Hell don't they just use L's laundry and dryer? Find out next chapter :D.**


	8. Laundry Day

**BeforeNote: I realize that I should have had this like last week, or something. My apologies! I'm sure you're all tired of hearing - well, reading - these stupid apologies, so I apologize for that as well. Anyways, today I'm at my tia's house, and she's letting me let her use her computer. Surprise surprise. Well, I've decided that, since I have a damn calendar/planner thing that is the size of a notebook, I should write down the deadlines for when the new chapters are due, and I've started doing just that. So, yay. Anyways, enjoy this chapter ;D. And thanks to those who reviewed, favorited, or alerted!**

**I apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes that were over-looked.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Dora, or any laundry facilities.**

**

* * *

**"Mello! What is the meaning of this?" L shouted at the four year old. After his morning shower, he had gone into his closet to look for a set of clean clothes. What he found, however, was a pile of chocolate covered white shirts and denim jeans. L was _not _happy about this in the least, so he went downstairs to find the blond devil, and ask him why the hell his chocolate had ended up in his clothes.

"Now now, Lawliet," Beyond said calmly to L, who had Mello by the wrist and was attempting to yell at him. In L's free hand were his ruined clothes, and what mysteriously looked like some of Beyond's black shirts. "What's wrong OH DEAR GOD WHAT THE HELL MELLO!" It turned out that Beyond's clothes were also ruined.

"Hey! Don't yell at my Melly-Bear!" said Matt, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He had been doing that a lot lately, and quite frankly, the two adults were becoming a little worried.

"Melly-Bear?" Mello asked, confused and slightly disturbed. "Hey, where do you get off with calling me that girly name?" Mello was fuming now.

"Well," Matt began tentatively. "You're my Melly-Bear, aren't you?"

"Hell no."

"Language, mister," the two look-alike said in unison. Remembering that their clothes were ruined in chocolate, they began asking questions.

"Mello, why is your melted chocolate smeared on mine and Beyond's clothing?" L was trying to be patient, and if the blond didn't answer soon, he would snap. Thankfully, Beyond had taken a hold of his arm, the one that had previously held Mello's wrist hostage.

The blond seemed to be contemplating his answer, and soon gave an excuse. "I needed somewhere to hide my chocolate! I didn't want to get it taken away again!"

"So, you hid it in our clothes?" L was rubbing his temples now, willing the on-coming headache to disappear. "Wait, how did you even get in my room? I keep it locked and...wait. Beyond, what were your clothes doing in my closet in the first place?" He turned to Beyond, who was trying to hide a smirk, and failing.

Smiling sweetly, Beyond answered in his 'innocent' voice. "You see, Lawli-chan," he now was holding the other man's hand. "I've grown tired of sleeping in a room all by myself, so I have decided to move into your room."

"Beyond, you're a damn grown man. And, how did you get the key to my room?"

The red-eyed man was now grinning evilly, and looking damn proud of himself. "Remember, a few days ago, when the incident with Near happened, and after the doctor left we went into the kitchen?"

Gulping, L was beginning to get an idea of where this was going.

"While I was comforting you," Beyond continued, "I slipped my hand into your back pocket, and retrieved your room key."

"Hmm, I thought I felt something weird." That was all L could say as he pulled his hand away from Beyond's, not even mad about the fact that Beyond had snuck his hand into his _back _pocket...where his butt was. "Well, now we have to wash our clothes."

"Yes we do. Come now, children. We're going to the laundromat." Beyond began gathering the toddlers, including Near, who had, like Matt, come out of nowhere.

"I have a washer and dryer here," L said, somewhat frightened at the fact that he would have to go a public cleaning place, where millions of other toddlers had most likely been. "Why don't we just use mine?"

"Because, L, you are a social retard. You need to go out and interact with the public, and make some friends."

"But, I have friends."

"Old men don't count."

Defeatedly, L began packing the dirty clothes into a laundry basket, one that had wheels. Yes, L was extremely lazy. "Beyond, would you mind driving?

"Certainly," his doppelganger answered, all to happily.

The two men buckled the children in their booster seats, secured the hamper-on-wheels in the trunk, and sped off to the laundromat.

* * *

To say that the two men did not have a hard time at the laundromat would be an absolute lie.

For the life of him, L could not figure out how to work out the washing machine, or the drying machines. They were completely different from own, because, his own were voice operated. Usually, all he had to do was put in his laundry, close the lid, and the machine would do the rest. Unfortunately, these machines were the less expensive ones, and L's threatening commands were of no use. And if that wasn't bad enough, he had to suffer _alone, _because Beyond had taken the three children next door to the doughnut shop to buy them a treat.

At long last, the four returned with their doughnuts and chocolate milk.

One look at the sight before him, and Beyond facepalmed.

"L, what in the Hell are you doing?" Beyond was greeted with the scene of L raising his foot, getting ready to kick the machine into cooperative business. Shooing the children away so he could have a talk with the supposedly intelligent detective, Beyond walked over to said man and repeated his question. L answered with a simple, "I'm beating it into submission."

Beyond's face was palmed once more. "Dammit, L. Don't you have any common sense?"

"Common sense would be if you're walking down the street and there was a giant brick wall in your line of walking, you would walk _around _the wall, because that's what common sense would say," L responded sarcastically. Beyond only rolled his eyes, and showed L how to properly prepare the laundry.

After that boring task, L asked where the children were, and Beyond pointed a long, bony finger in the south direction of the building. L turned to where his doppelganger was pointing, and sighed. Over by the south wall, Mello was running away from Matt, and Near was following behind Matt, his chubby fingers trying desperately to grasp the back of the redhead's shirt.

Having had enough chaos for one day, L went to try to catch the three children. About a half-hour passed before he was able to scoop up all three of them and set them down on a wooden bench in front of a crappy television. "Stay here, and don't move," L commanded, and left to go watch Beyond put the clean laundry in a dryer.

"Alright then, L," began Beyond, with the intention of showing the 'world's greatest detective' how to operate a dryer. "The dryer is not voice operated either, so after depositing the wet clothes in, you add a softener, close the lid, put in the quarters and press the on button."

Strongly resisting the urge to roll his eyes, L merely nodded his head full of ruffled black hair, and leaned against the counter to await more directions from the jam-lover.

Honestly, Beyond spoke to him as if he were a child.

Speaking of children, the three that had been assigned to them were not making any noise, which was strange, because when he left them on the bench, they were loudly arguing with each other and complaining about the Dora cartoons.

Now, they were almost dead silent. The raven-haired man set out to look for them once again, and this time, it didn't take so long. Upon finding the children, he was almost too shocked for words.

L had found Near in a bottom dryer by the west wall, door closed, with Mello about to push the 'On' button. Mello noticed L, and immediately opened the dryer door to let the youngest out. Near didn't even seem phased by the whole happening

"Mello, why did you put Near in the dryer?" L asked, very annoyed, and with a headache about to hammer his brain away.

"I wanted to see if cotton balls would fall apart." Mello answered, almost innocently. Next to him, Matt was trying very hard not to laugh.

"I think it's time to leave," and L scooped up the three once again, took them to the car, strapped them in nice and tight, and went back inside to let Beyond know that he would be waiting in the vehicle. However, Beyond seemed to take notice, and waved him off.

Not more than five minutes later, Beyond had piled the finished laundry into the backseat, and drove back to the house.

L was tense the whole car ride, and Beyond had decided that that would have to be fixed later on that night.

* * *

**AfterNote: So, how was it? Again, I'm sorry it's late. Job interviews are really...meh. Anyways, if you're a fan of Hell Girl, read my profile, 'cause I've really been thinking about doing a crossover with Death Note and Hell Girl. Good idea? Bad? Anyways, heh.**


	9. Inner Demons

**BeforeNote: I know how late this is, and I'm very sorry. To tell the truth, I've been busy, lazy, and uninspired. Here's some good news; I bought a new laptop, so that means that I'll be able to make my weekly update. **

**Now, I'm surprised that I kept getting reviews (ok, so I've only had two), but I've also gotten more faves and alerts. A big thank you to all who kept with this story! ****As for what's been going on in Japan, I feel terrible. I've donated, and I wish I could do more. I hope everyone is safe over there. ****With that said, this chapter is more filler-ish. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. I think we all know that.**

From atop of L, Beyond's smooth and lithe fingers gently ran up and down the detective's back, occasionally adding pressure to the tense muscles. L was getting a little hot and bothered. Beyond's fingers were just magic!

The digits continued their ministrations, then ascended to L's neck. The doppelganger used his index finger to move away the hair at the nape, then ghosted over the sensitive skin. L's breath hitched, and he shuddered as Beyond replaced the finger with his lips, and the detective could feel his face heating up even more. He gasped loudly and tightly grasped the sheets in his hands.

Beyond's lips quickly made their way across L's neck, up the side, and onto his right cheek, before going down the side once more to lick the pulse point.

"Ah-h.." L was a writing mess beneath his look-alike, and was currently biting his fist to keep from being too loud. He didn't want the children walking in or getting curious anytime soon. That would be the end of _both_ men.

For a final time, Beyond let his fingers dance across L's neck, and he bent down to place a kiss on his other cheek. L let out a frustrated moan when Beyond pulled away, and said man smirked.

"Well, Lawli, I hope you feel much better," Beyond stated smugly as he crossed the room to get out a pair of socks. He put them on, and resumed his cheeky comments. "You were way too tense in the car. I'm going to go feed the children now. You just stay there and take a nice nap."

L flipped the bird to the door when Beyond exited and closed it. Sighing, he rolled onto his back, which really_ was_ less tense, and stared at the ceiling, trying to detect an intricate pattern through which he could evaluate the many dots and ask himself _why the hell _carpenters even created ceilings such as his.

Boy. He really needed to work on a new case. Either that, or find a way to relieve his sexual frustration.

Downstairs, Mello was chasing Matt with his sticky, gummy tarantula, and Near was sitting in the corner, playing with his miniature sized Transformer. Beyond, being the mother in this situation, was in the kitchen with a pink apron and matching chef's hat. Today for lunch, the children would have tuna sandwiches, while he and his sweet Lawli-pop would eat some homemade spanakopita. Yes, Beyond was the perfect housewife. He kept things in order, made sure the kids were safe during bath time, swept, cleaned, polished, vacuumed;

The perfect housewife indeed.

Six days had gone by since Roger and Watari left to attend to their business, and neither Beyond nor L had been contacted by either one. Beyond was becoming a little worried, but his motherly intuition told him that things would be all right. He smiled to himself, and just as he placed the last of the spanakopita in the oven, the house phone rang.

Hurriedly and smoothly, the man sprinted to the phone, almost knocking Mello and Matt to the floor.

"Moshi moshi?" he answered in Japanese, simply because he wanted.

"Beyond?" It was the voice of Watari, and he didn't sound to happy.

Taking notice of the older man's obvious irritation, he inwardly sighed, and answered in a calm voice, "Yes, sir?"

"Beyond, it seems that Roger and I were not properly able to settle these disputes with Iraq. They simply will not cooperate. Their resources are running low and we're offering every possible alternative to helping them out, but they won't damn listen. Getting to my point, we will have to stay here for at least another week to meet with the ambassador."

A cross between and innocent smile and devious smirk crossed Beyond's face, as the information of he and his Lawliet having more time together processed in his mind. "All right then, Watari-san. L and I will continue to watch over the little ones."

The anger in his voice seemed to disappear, because Watari cheerily asked how they were doing. Beyond relayed the information to him of the past six days, and the old man on the other end of the line nearly had a heart attack when he found out about Near's incident with the bath. He quickly calmed down, however, when Beyond informed him that L would no longer be supervising their bath time.

"Right, then," Watari began with his closing sentence. "I will be transferring more money to L's account for the extra week, which I am terribly sorry for."

"Oh, its no problem at all, sir. The children have been on their best behavior, and L and I have been getting along just fine."

"I hope so. Well, I need to hang up now. We've got another meeting in an hour."

"Right. Take care." Beyond hung up, and went to the kitchen to finish lunch.

"So, I just got off the phone with Watari," Beyond said to L, who was now in the dining room, trying to get the children in their seats.

L stared at Beyond, almost in disbelief that the man did not inform him of his caretaker's call. "And what did he say?" By this time, Near was seated in his high chair, chubby hands wrapped around his juice box, and slices of baby carrots on the mini table.

"Oh, nothing really. He called to check up on us, and…see how the children were doing."

Obviously, the man was hiding something. His red eyes held a certain mirth, and he would hardly make contact with L.

"What _else _did he call for?" Now, L was standing right next to his counterpart, trying to get a look into his eyes. Finally, in a whisper, Beyond revealed his 'secret'.

"They will be staying in Iraq for another week, so that means that we'll be together with the children for a little while longer."

L nearly paled at the thought of being with his evil counterpart for another week. That was an extra fifteen days! The detective was wondering how we was going to survive at all. First, the children who never seemed to tire out, and then Beyond, who was just a big tease.

"Um, earth to Lawli."

"Earth to Lawli!" a voice echoed out, and L barely recognized it as Mello's before he blacked out. The children gasped and became quiet, and Beyond merely sighed. Before picking him up and carrying him to his room, he served the children their tuna sandwiches with pretzels, and then hauled the unconscious man off.

When L awoke several hours later, he was surprised to find that the entire house was eerily quiet. Sitting up in bed a little too quickly, he clutched his head in agony, and slowly slipped off. He padded downstairs towards the kitchen and living room areas, where it was empty with the lights remaining on. Curiously, he peeked around the house to find the others, and finally came upon a note which was stuck to the refrigerator.

_Lawli, I've taken the children to the park to enjoy a little sun. The kitchen is cleaned, and your lunch is in the conventional oven. Just warm it up for three minutes, and try not to burn down the house. We shall be back in a few short hours._

Glancing at the clock, L was surprised to find that it was three in the afternoon. So, he had apparently been unconscious for three and a half.

He shrugged, and turned on the conventional oven. As he was waiting, a small voice in the back of his head decided to make itself heard.

_Do you remember what Beyond had told you before you passed out? _The voice sneered, and L groaned in annoyance.

"Not you again," he said out loud, and put his lunch on a paper plate.

_Oh yes, me again. Well, Lawliet; do you remember at all? I'll tell you, because it seems that you don't want to acknowledge this new information. You'll have Beyond for another week. A whole extra week added to your calendar. Aren't you just excited?_

"I most certainly am not."

_Sure, you're not. That's what you tell yourself. But just watch and wait; you'll grow tense and stressed with the children once more, and Beyond will have to take care of you again, just like earlier._

Shuddering at the memory of Beyond's less-than-sensual massage playing in his mind, L tried to argue with his inner voice. "His hands were too soft; it wasn't very enjoyable."

_But the noises you were making proved otherwise._

L blushed.

_You can't keep denying that there's something there, Lawliet; that you __feel __some sort of passion for the man. Just admit that you enjoyed that moment earlier._

"There is _nothing _to admit! I feel nothing!" L was yelling by now, his voice echoing off the kitchen walls. His inner self was not moved, however, and laughed, a throaty, almost dry laugh.

_You're only lying to yourself, L. Is it because you're too scared to open up to him? _With that final thought and question left in his mind, the voice disappeared, and L stood standing in his spot in the kitchen, shaking, and a bit flustered.


	10. Working Out

**BeforeNote: Gahhh smut! I'm no good with it. This one is a real filler, but **_**does **_**have importance. The next chapter will have more of Mello, Matt, and Near.**

**Rating and genre have changed, but it is still romance.**

**Thanks for your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

"L? Are you all right?"

"Huh?"

L hadn't noticed that Beyond and the children had come back home. He wasn't even aware of how long he had been standing there, zoning out and worrying that what his mind had told him was true.

"I've been standing here for exactly," Beyond checked his watch, "three minutes and forty-two seconds, calling your name. You've not responded until now. Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm just fine."

"Are you sure?" It was Mello who asked this time, and for only being four, he seemed genuinely concerned.

Smiling at the child, L nodded yes, and Beyond took the children up to their rooms for a nap.

* * *

L's spanakopita lay forgotten on the counter as he left the kitchen to take a hot bath.

Baths for L were very much relaxing, and helped his thinking process to form in a more relaxed manner. While in the bath, he did not crouch, but instead, sat on his bottom with his legs stretched out to their full extent, and head resting on the side.

Just as he was about to submerge his head under the water, a soft knock came at the bathroom door. Sighing, L decided to let him come in, seeing as he would have done so anyways, with or without permission.

This was proven correct, because as he was going to open his mouth to allow him in, Beyond opened the door.

"L, I think we need to have a talk."

"Sure. What about?"

Beyond closed the door behind him, and sat down beside the bath, inches from where L's head lay. He took a moment, before saying, "You know that I do like you, right?"

"…yes."

"And, I know you don't really the feel same, but that's okay." Beyond one was never one to be shy, and kept eye contact with his double the entire time. He sounded fearless, and was exceptionally brave. Surprisingly, L found himself admiring this certain trait about the man next to him.

"Beyond," L took the other man's hand in his. "I like you _very _much." He kissed the fingertips softly, and stared up into those ruby red eyes. "I just think I'm somewhat afraid of having a relationship. I'm not sure why."

"Its okay. I'm not going to push you into anything. I know it may seem like that sometimes, but I care deeply for you. We grew up together, and I consider you my best friend."

L's eyes were shining, and he felt a sort of warmness in his chest. "Can we…can we take things slowly? I care for you as well, and I don't want to hurt you or anything because this is all new to me."

"We can take things as slow as you like," and with that, Beyond closed the small gap between them, and lightly pressed his lips to L's. When they pulled away, L was slightly blushing, and Beyond smiled.

Seems like things were going to work out for them after all.


	11. Thought Processes and Child Games

**BeforeNote: Check out my profile, I have links to my Twitter and MangaBullet. I will now be posting my works up on MangaBullet.**

**Feels like forever since I've updatds, even though it's been like (four?) days XD. I just love updating now that I have my new Toshiba.**

**Thanks for your reviews and everything else!**

**I'm thinking of ending this in just four more chapters, but I want to do a Poll on my profile where you can vote for four more or two more. Thing is, I have no freakin' clue how to make polls. I barely figured out how to make links (lame, I know), but I'm clueless on polls. Anyone know how to do it? You can PM me :D. I would really appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or the Toshiba company.**

"I am Mello, king of chocolatiers!"

"I am Matt, the king's gamer!"

"…"

"Aw come on, Near. You have to be something! Oh, you can be the king's baby sheep!"

"No."

"Be my sheep."

"..."

"Fine then. Gamer! Take him to the dungeons!"

"Yes, your majesty!"

L and Beyond were watching secretively from the kitchen as Matt took hold of Near's small hand, and led him to the corner behind the couch. There, Near sat on the floor, and Matt pretended to tie him up.

"OK, King Mello won't let you have any toys, but here's your robot. Shhh; you can't tell him, 'kay?"

"OK."

"I'll be back later to check up on you."

Matt walked back to where Mello was, and from the two look-alike's hiding place, they could vaguely make out a small lecture being given by the redhead.

"Forgive me, King Mello, but you can't keep locking him up just because he doesn't want to be your sheep!" Matt's arms were flailing about, and he had a bewildered and stern expression on his little freckled face.

"Royal Gamer, this is a dictatorship, where the King, which would be me, makes all the decisions. You don't have a say, and if you do, then your opinions don't matter." Mello was not pointing at Matt, chocolate bar in hand, and a smug look plastered across that baby-chubby face of his.

"Fine! But don't come crying to me when he escapes from his spot!"

"Hmph!"

Snickering, the two men emerged from their secret place, and sat on opposite sides of the living room, just so the children wouldn't suspect anything. They were geniuses, after all,

"L!" Mello went running up to the detective, and latched onto his leg. For once, the strange man wasn't sitting in his usual crouching position.

It was kind of weird, really, what had been happening to L since he allowed Beyond into his heart exactly four days ago. Now that he had someone so close to him, he didn't need to sit the way he usually sat, nor did he feel compelled to chew his thumb whenever he was deep in thought. In fact, it seemed as if Beyond had helped his thinking process far more than his usual quirks ever did.

It was weird, and comforting at the same time.

However, L was not going to complain, because his mind was still intact, and Beyond was officially a part of him.

Emotionally, not physically.

Yes, L had thought about the physical aspects of his and Beyond's relationship. He was not worried, because Beyond made a promise, and L trusted him in entirely. Although, he wondered what Beyond would decide to do once it was time for the children to leave. Would he want to live with L or go home? Mind you, Beyond was only an hour's drive away, but L would not mind at all if Beyond were to choose to live with him. After all, they were best friends, had been since they were in their teenage years. But now, there were only nineteen days left, and it felt as if their days were going by so quickly. L didn't want to push Beyond into anything, just like Beyond wasn't pushing anything, either. Still, he couldn't help but wonder.

_We'll cross that bridge when we get there,_ L thought to himself, and for once, the voice inside his head was his own.

Speaking of voices, there was currently a four year old's trying to get his attention, and L noticed that this was the second time he had zoned out within a timespan of a few days.

"I'm sorry, Mello. What was your question?"

"I said, 'do you and Beyond want to be my loyal subjects?'" Mello answered with a slight demanding tone. He did not look too happy at being ignored. "Beyond already said yes, so you _have _to say yes, too. You are now my loyal subject."

"What was the point of asking me, then, if you were going to decide anyways?" L asked in an amused voice.

"L," Beyond warned. "Don't pick a fight with a four year old."

"I wasn't. I was just asking."

Beyond looked at him skeptically for a moment. "All right, then. Mello, what do we have to do?"

"You have to sit there and listen to me, and answer my questions. I will call on one of you. There will be none of that raise your hand crap, because my teachers at Wammy's always do that. Mattie here is going to give you each five marshmallows, and for every answer you get correct, you win one. For every wrong answer, you lose one. Are we clear?"

"Yes," the men said in unison, and the talking and asking and answering of questions soon began.

"OK, so, my name is Mihael Keehl, but that's _King _Mihael Keehl, to you two. Now, Beyond, who am I to you? "

"You are _King _Mihael Keehl," Beyond answered, and hadding emphasis just as Mello had, and hee instantly received a marshmallow."

Mello looked pleased with himself. "Good. 'Kay, Mattie is now my best friend."

"Really?" Said child was beaming, and hoping that Mello wasn't making this up for the sake of the game.

"Of course, Mattie. Why else would I call you 'Mattie'? During these past few days, you've shown me that you're not so much of a baby anymore!"

It was true. Around the fourth day of their stay, Matt and Mello had began to go on a few late night adventures to the kitchen to steal some chocolate from the fridge. Matt had been afraid of the dark, but accompanied Mello nonetheless. He had _not _been about to show the blond child his weakness.

"How has he shown you?" L asked. He wondered what the little redhead could have possibly done to become the best friend of such a rowdy child.

"He just has. On to my talking," Mello answered, without much of an answer.

An hour and a half and fifty marshmallows later, Mello had tired himself out and sat down on the floor. During their 'game', Near stood up and agreed to be Mello's sheep, to which Mello denied his offer, because he decided that he didn't want to degrade the toddler in such a way. So Mello let Near be part of his group of royal subjects, and the albino child was rewarded with marshmallows of his own.

"OK, children, I believe it is time for your naps." Beyond stood up with Near in his arms, who was already fast asleep. L gathered Matt and Mello in his gangly limbs, and the two men took them upstairs. There, they decided to place the three of them in L's king-sized bed.

"Goodnight, you three. When you wake, dinner will be ready," and Beyond pulled the covers over them and shut the door.

"Y'know, I really like it here," said Mello to Matt, once he was sure Beyond and L were downstairs. "I think those two are getting along better. Even Near and I have been more like friends. And you're really my best friend. I promise. Mattie are you listening?"

But the small gamer was fast asleep, curled up on his side and snuggling into Near who was in between the two.

Mello smiled, and curled into Near's other side, in what looked like a protective way.

He was out in four seconds flat.

**AfterNote: Okay, this was going to be one big chapter, but I've decided to split it up. The next part of this will have L talking to Beyond about what they're going to do. Yes, L is going against his 'cross that bridge when we get there', statement. So it might be posted later tonight or on Monday. I will try to post during the weekend if I can, but I believe I will be fairly busy.**

**Hope you liked it :).**


	12. Questions Insecurities Kiss

**BeforeNote: Turns out that I wasn't all that busy this weekend. Well, its Saturday evening. Do you guys even read these BeforeNotes? Hmm. I don't care if you don't.**

**Warnings: Nothing too sexual, but they **_**do **_**fool around. Nothing too big though. You'll find out XD.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

**Thanks to my reviewers!**

L was sitting in his room, nervously twiddling his thumbs, many thoughts going through his mind.

'_So with nineteen days left, Beyond will make a decision. Or at least, that's what I'm going to talk to him about. I hope I can do this.'_

For all of his genius, L was uncertain how to approach the matter. He was, after all, unfamiliar with personal relationships. He neither wanted to look like a fool nor a jerk, so he decided that he would drop hints about where Beyond was going to be staying now that they were together.

In truth, L wanted nothing more than to have Beyond with him twenty-four seven. It would be great keeping your best friend turned lover with you. Beyond could show him how to cook – properly – and could possibly teach him better social skills.

Yes, L decided that he would like to have his lover move in, but first, he had to see what Beyond had to say about it.

Now, as for those hints, he was certain Beyond would catch on quickly, so he decided that he would right-then-and-there put his plan into action. Just as he was about to climb off his bed, Beyond opened the bedroom door and stepped inside.

L stared at him blankly for a quick second, before smiling.

Returning the sentiment, Beyond walked over to his Lawliet, and brought their faces close together. L let out a tiny gasp, and put his hands on the other man's shoulders, while Bound's lay gently on his hips.

Beyond leaned in to lightly press his lips against the other's, and L kissed him back. Adding in a bit of pressure to their kiss, he tilted his head and nipped L's bottom lip. The detective eagerly opened his mouth, and happily allowed the other's tongue inside, while being pushed back onto the bed.

The two went down together, with Beyond on top, their heated kiss never once broken. L's fingers clenched tightly to the other's shoulders, and he tentatively wrapped one leg around his waist. Beyond's hands rubbed up and down L's side as if soothing him, before going back to his hips where his thumbs traced circles over the sliver of flesh that was revealed from underneath the white shirt.

"H-hah, Beyond…" L said breathlessly as Beyond trailed kisses along his jaw. "Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on dinner?"

"Mmm…it's fine. I just put it in the oven. We have forty-five minutes," Beyond answered. His lips were soon drawn to L's ear, where they placed butterfly kisses along the shell.

The sensations running through L's body were mind-blowing. The lips that were now on his neck were sending a tingly feeling up his spine, as if there were fingers dancing delicately along the flesh. He knew, however, that Beyond would not go farther than kissing and gentle touches; not until they were both ready for more.

Biting back a moan, L wrapped his other leg around Beyond's waist, and slim hips met with strong, built ones. He felt the man above him shudder, just a tiny bit, before he moved his legs up further, until they were wrapped around the other's torso.

Beyond sat up with his knees on the bed and L in his lap. L placed his arms around his lover's neck and his legs on either side of his hips. He squeezed his thighs together, eliciting a small gasp from the man he was sitting on, and gently rocked his hips.

"S-someone's a little happy," Beyond smirked and L stuck his tongue out, only to have it captured once again by his lover.

A little while later after their hormonal make-out session, where they proceeded to _not _take their relationship to the next level, the two were laying on the bed, L's back to Beyond's chest. The latter's arms were wrapped around L's waist, and L held them gently. He decided that now would be a good time to talk to him about his earlier thoughts.

"Beyond…I…"

"What is it, love?" Sensing the distress in his lover's voice, Beyond pressed a gentle kiss to the exposed flesh of his neck.

"I was wondering if…when the nineteen days we have left are over…if…" This was turning out to be a lot harder than he thought, and L immediately felt insecure and unsure if he should be asking his new lover if they should live together. So they had been best friends for years, but now that they were lovers, there were new boundaries. If they had stayed friends instead, L was sure Beyond would have said yes right away, but seeing as they were more than friends, he just didn't known what the other's responds would be.

"L, are you wondering about what's going to happen to us?"

"Well, it's not so much what's going to _happen _to us, but…" Screw it, he would just go for it. No matter what Beyond said, L would be happy and respect his wishes. "Are you going to go back home, or continue living with me? I mean, I know if you go back we'll still be together and see each other; you're only an hour's drive away. But, I really would like you here with me, seeing that we would be together every day, but of course it's your decision and-"

He was promptly cut off when a warm mouth attached itself to his own. L didn't even notice that while he was babbling, Beyond was hovering over him inch by inch. He relaxed into the kiss, but averted his eyes from his lover's gaze and turned his head to the side when Beyond pulled away.

"Lawliet." Beyond put two fingers underneath L's chin, and gently turned his head back. L's eyes were still focusing on anything but his look-alike. "Look at me."

Slowly, L brought his black eyes to meet with red ones, and gasped.

**AfterNote: Yes, a cliffhanger. Now, I said that he would talk to Beyond about it, but I never said if Beyond would give his answer XD.**


	13. Short

**A/N: Wow. This is like the tenth time that I've taken way too long to update this fic. Work and real life have been super bitches, and the only fics I've been able to update are ****Ranting ****and ****Group Therapy. ****I've also taken on a few prompt challenges to get my muse back, and to give myself a break from all my multi-chapter fics.**

**I've also been attacked with new ideas that I've had to scribble down as soon as they pop up, or else I'd lose 'em.**

**Sorry for the long wait, and thanks to my reviewers!**

_Slowly, L brought his black eyes to meet with red ones, and gasped._

"You babble too much, you know that?" Beyond was smirking and there was a slight chuckle in his voice as L's face took on a look of confusion. "Of course I'll live with you. Why do think I brought so much luggage with me?"

L looked down, remembering that Beyond had in fact brought about six suitcases with him. "Were you planning this?"

"Well, no. If you meant if I planned from the start on living with you, yes. But if I planned on making you mine, yes and no." At the weird look he received, Beyond continued. "I planned on moving in with you regardless if we were a couple or not. I _did _think to make you my lover, but only if you were ready."

"I'm…still confused."

Smiling widely, Beyond kissed L softly. "You'll get it someday. Come on, I think the timer went off."

The two walked downstairs, hand in hand.

**A/N: I know that this is freakin' short, but honestly, I couldn't figure out what to do with this chapter. I've been busy like crazy and I started a new fic, and I've also been writing for prompts just to get my muse back and take too much of a break from this fic XD.**

**There will be more chapters soon! This is far from over.**


	14. Going Soft

**A/N: It's basically when I **_**force **_**myself to sit and write do I come up with something, or the chapter ends up writing itself.**

**Lovely, isn't it. And, I'm still as busy as ever. But, sorry for the long wait. I know I apologize every time, but you have no idea how much I mean it.**

**Sort-of fluff. Depends on your style. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

**/-**

For the next three days, L was completely distracted by the new relationship between himself and Beyond. Every night after the children were put to bed, Beyond would kiss him goodnight and trail off to his own room, leaving L to stand in the middle of the hallway, star-struck and blushing.

The detective was too caught up in his thoughts of _his _Beyond that he burnt the chocolate and strawberry cake that the five of them were supposed to have for dessert one night.

"L, what's up? You've been distracted lately." Beyond smirked at L, seeing the light pink dusting of a blush spread across his pale face. He knew exactly what was up; he just liked teasing his counter-part. Sniggering at his lover's sudden inability to form words, Beyond took the ruined cake out of the oven and threw it in the garbage. "It's okay, Lawliet; go sit down with the kids and I'll finish up in the kitchen."

L gazed at him for a few seconds before smiling slightly and waltzing off to the living room, blush still prominent on his face. As he approached the living area, which was a complete mess, Mello ran towards him and wrapped his little limbs around both of L's legs. The older man's memory was triggered with the day the children had arrived. This was exactly what happened when Mello met L.

"L, why did you burn the cake?" Mello asked innocently, staring up at him through big, blue eyes. The child's innocence had an effect on the detective. Bending down to scoop the little angel in his arms, L planted a soft kiss atop his blond head. He smiled widely as Mello uttered a small squeal of delight.

"It was only burnt because I did not pay attention to the time," he replied quietly, almost in a whisper, as he made his way over to the couch.

Judging his answer sufficient enough, Mello lay his head on L's shoulder and closed his eyes, sighing happily. Matt and Near soon joined the duo on the couch, and not ten minutes later, the four of them fell asleep.

Beyond walked into the living room to bring them to the dining room for their dessert. Upon seeing the sight of them, he smiled and headed back into the kitchen to put the cake away.

L was certainly going soft, but more importantly, he was happier.

**/-**

**A/N: I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter. It's **_**something, **_**right?**


	15. Park

**A/N: I'm pretty sure you're all tired of hearing my excuses. I am too. The thing is, I've been going through some stuff, and I know it's not fair to be taking it out on you guys. I've been trying to take a break from writing, and I might need a little bit longer. But, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, so here's chapter fifteen :).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

**/-**

Six more days of L's relationship with Beyond and L was ready to burst with emotion. He felt sick throughout the morning, his emotions running amuck and teasing his head with unexplainable thoughts. Beyond had him stay in bed while he took the children to the park. So in bed L lay, pouting and still stuck with the feeling of bursting. It wasn't that he was unhappy, no, it was far from that; he was _too _happy.

_But what's so bad about that? _The voice inside his head was back, this time with a much softer tone and less menacing. _I don't see the problem._

"It might interfere with my detective work," L responded with a quiet sigh.

_So…are you going to give up on this relationship?_

"No, of course not." There was no hesitation in L's voice, just a bit of frustration. He could never think of ending things with Beyond, but he was almost afraid to find out how his work as a detective would end up.

_Then, what is it?_

L thought for a moment, and when he decided that he could not come up with a reasonable answer, he shook his head, forgetting for a moment that the voice in his mind was simply a _voice, _and couldn't see his gesture. "Nothing," he stated, and turned on his side to get some much needed rest.

**/-**

At the park, Mello, Matt and Near were on the swings with Beyond trying to push all three of them. He managed, though, after a few stumbles of running back and forth. The children were laughing at him and clapping their small hands, their arms wrapped around the chain of the swings so as not to fall off.

"Is it funny when I fall?" Beyond asked, amused at their choice of enjoyment. Matt nodded his head enthusiastically, and Mello pumped his fist into the air. Near, however, was quiet, and stared at the sand beneath his swing. In one tiny hand he clutched a red robot with white eyes.

"Near? What's wrong?" Mello jumped off his swing and walked over to the toddler, stopping his swing from moving.

Shaking his head, Near looked up at Mello and smiled, a full set of baby teeth barely visible.

"Are you sure?" Mello was slightly worried about the tiny child. If Near was upset, there would be no fun in tormenting him, and Mello couldn't accept that.

Looking up at the older child, Near slowly nodded his head, then returned his stare to the sand. The colors of the tiny grains caught his interest, and soon his mind with was at work trying to figure out just how many colors sand was made up of, or if he was seeing any color at all. He was pulled from his thoughts when Mello ruffled his hair and smiled at him.

"Melly, come back to your swing!" Matt yelled, and Mello went running back to his friend, kicking up sand along the way.

"I'm going to sit down for a bit; you children are tiring." Beyond made his way to the small bench on the sidewalk, and sat with one leg crossed over the other. His 'L Instincts' switched on, and a small voice in the back of his mind began to fill his head with thoughts.

_Do you think you and L are too happy together?_

'Hmm? Not at all.' He responded quickly and without fear. After all, he was used to hearing voices in his head constantly; it was almost routine. Though, he wondered why his mind would ask him such a question as this?

_He thinks you are, _and the voice disappeared and Beyond fumed slightly.

It was time that he and his Lawliet had a little chat.

**/-**

**A/N: Again, forgive me for the delay, but hope you enjoyed it!**


	16. Arguments and Reassurances

**A/N: So, I would call this half-filler and half-progression. Heh. And oh shit, this is on time **_**and **_**a day early! Go me!**

**I would like to thank my lovely reviewers, and **China's Panda,** I don't remember you from your previous name :/. Have you reviewed for any of my previous stuff before this one? Heh. Sorry.**

**Well, enjoy this one! And thanks to those favorited/alerted. Heh.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Gameboy.**

**/_/_/_/_/**

Beyond allowed the children another half-hour of time at the park – in which they ran around the swing set, chased each other down the slide, and generally enjoyed themselves – before he decided that it was time to leave. The all had grown tired either way, and quite hungry, so Beyond placed them in their car seats, and they were off.

"What's for dinner?" Matt asked, curious about his food tonight. The toddler wondered if his dinner would be burned like the cake that L had made a few days ago. He wasn't looking forward to any more charred sustenance.

"I believe L is preparing some grilled chicken with a salad and vinaigrette sauce," the adult answered, eyes focused intensely on the road.

"I hate that shit!" Yes, little Mello had let his mouth run free, and as soon as the expletive was blurted, his hands moved to immediately cover his mouth. His blue eyes widened, and Near stared blankly at him. The albino child was used to Mello's 'potty-mouth,' as Roger liked to call it, but Matt was almost horrified. His parents had been devout Christians before they died, and had never once uttered an obscenity; at least, not around Matt. Looking up at Mello from the corners of his eyes, he asked tentatively, "Mello, isn't that a bad word?"

"It is," Beyond answered for him, and squeezed his hands tightly around the steering wheel. "Mello, you are never to utter that word, or any other swearword for that matter, ever again. Am I understood?"

Mello was humiliated, and a small blush made itself prominent on his face. "Yes, sir."

The rest of the car ride home was silent.

**/_/_/_/_/**

"L, what's with this voice?" Beyond boomed once he and the children were inside the house. Said children jumped slightly at the shrill sound of the man's tone, and immediately ran up the stairs to Mello's room.

"What voice?" The detective was curious yet he almost knew what his doppelganger was speaking of.

"_The _voice, the one that spoke to me today. It told me you weren't too happy with our relationship. My voices are _never _wrong, so do you mind explaining, _Lawliet?_"

Oh, _that _voice. L paled, his heart beating rapidly. Viciously he chewed on his left thumb while a million and one excuses and explanations swam through his brain. "Love," he stated softly, because to his knowledge, that was the way to do it; speak softly so as to get the other to calm down, and set the bait with a pet name. "I just, well, this is different for me." There; it looked like things were getting just a little better, even though their argument was just starting. "This is my first relationship, and I'm built up with so emotion that sometimes it feels too much for me, like it's a bit overwhelming."

"So, this relationship is wearing you down?" There was much anger in Beyond's voice, and if L didn't know any better, he'd say that the emotions under his mask of fury were anything but dejected. But he _did_ know the man, very well, and he recognized the hint of hurt in his voice, even if he was trying very hard to hide it.

"Lawliet, fucking look at me!"

L couldn't even spare him a small glance.

Beyond took a step back and L moved a bit forward.

"Beyond, I love you, you know I do." The detective took another step forward.

"But?" Beyond knew the answer, but L shook his head no, as if to say 'forget it,' and Beyond shouted at him. "If you don't want to be with me then just fucking say it!" When he received no answer, he stormed upstairs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

L felt terrible, and had never meant for their argument to turn out the way it did. _Of course _he wanted to be with the other man; he just wasn't entirely too sure on how to convey that message to him. The way his emotions had made him feel earlier was only temporary, and after having had his nap, he felt better than ever and more than glad to continue his relationship with his lover. The only problem was that L was socially inept, and therefore was unaware of the proper expression of his particular emotions. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided he would fix things with Beyond later; for now, he would let him cool off.

**/_/_/_/_/**

"Do you think they hate each other now?" Near asked as he held onto the back of Matt's shirt with one hand, his robot from the park still clutched in the other. He was worried for his two favorite people – the ones who weren't Mello and Matt – and was not very happy when he heard the lover's quarrel downstairs.

"Of course not!" Mello all but yelled. "They can't hate each other, not now, not ever!"

"I don't know, Melly. They seemed pretty angry at each other." Matt was furiously smashing the buttons of his Gameboy, the brand new one that Beyond had bought for him around four days ago. "Maybe they won't be friends after this."

Mello was a bit baffled at the nonchalance of Matt's statement, but he guessed the redhead to be half-right. Maybe the two men _wouldn't _work things out, and L would return to the busy, yet lonely, life of an underground and widely-known detective.

"No, they _will _work things out," came Near's quiet voice. "They _always_ do." And the other two children's doubts were washed away as they climbed into bed to nap, a small smile on each of their faces.


	17. Hiatus Note

**A/N:** Yes, I changed my pen name from MostlyxShortxStories to DaimonVasilissa. Anyways, I just started my anatomy class in junior college, so I won't have much time for writing. I'm supposed to be studying NOW but I wanted to give you a heads-up, especially to those who have just recently put this fic on alert. I apologize for the hiatus. School should be done in about six weeks, and maybe I'll have time to write on the weekends, but I doubt it. I already have an exam coming up. Bleh. So, once again, sorry for the hiatus, and if you take this fic off of your alerts, I won't mind. Thanks!


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